Carer Visa Subclass 116 and 836 Australia

What Is the Carer Visa?

The Carer visa is designed for eligible family members who are willing and able to provide ongoing substantial care and support to an Australian relative who has a long-term medical condition and does not have reasonable access to appropriate care in Australia.

The visa may allow an eligible applicant to:

• Live permanently in Australia
• Work in Australia
• Study in Australia
• Enrol in Medicare, subject to eligibility
• Sponsor eligible relatives in the future
• Travel to and from Australia for 5 years from the date of visa grant while the travel facility remains valid
• Potentially apply for Australian citizenship when eligible
• Access Adult Migrant English Program services if eligible

Carer Visa Subclass 116 – Offshore

The Carer visa subclass 116 is a permanent visa for eligible applicants who are outside Australia and want to move to Australia to provide care to an Australian relative.

The person requiring care must have a long-term medical condition and must have no reasonable access to care options in Australia.

General requirements

The applicant generally needs to:

• Be outside Australia when applying and when the visa is decided
• Have an eligible Australian relative who requires care
• Be willing and able to provide ongoing substantial care
• Demonstrate that the required care cannot reasonably be obtained in Australia
• Have an eligible sponsor
• Meet health requirements
• Meet character requirements
• Meet applicable Australian immigration requirements
• Satisfy any requirements concerning debts owed to the Australian Government
• Meet the best-interests-of-the-child requirement where applicable

The exact eligibility requirements should be assessed according to the applicant's circumstances and the applicable legislation.

Carer Visa Subclass 836 – Onshore

The Carer visa subclass 836 is the onshore version of the Carer visa.

It is a permanent visa for eligible applicants who are in Australia and need to remain in Australia to provide substantial ongoing care to an Australian relative or an eligible member of their relative's family who lives with them.

The applicant must generally be in Australia when the application is made and when the Department makes its decision.

Additional onshore requirements

For subclass 836, the applicant must generally:

• Hold a substantive visa other than a Transit visa (subclass 771), or meet the relevant requirements where a previous substantive visa has ceased
• Be in Australia when applying
• Remain in Australia when the application is decided
• Have an eligible sponsor
• Meet the care requirements
• Meet health and character requirements
• Satisfy other applicable visa requirements

Who Can Be Cared For?

The person requiring care must generally be:

• The applicant's Australian relative who needs care; or
• A member of that relative's family who lives with the Australian relative and needs care.

The person must have a long-term medical condition and must not have reasonable access to care options in Australia.

The Department requires medical evidence to establish the person's care needs. For these applications, the person requiring care must be assessed through Bupa Medical Visa Services, and the medical certificate needs to address the condition and the amount of care required.

What Does "No Reasonable Access to Care" Mean?

A key part of a Carer visa application is demonstrating that the person requiring care does not have reasonable access to appropriate care in Australia.

It is not enough simply to show that the applicant wants to provide care personally.

The application should address the available care arrangements and explain why reasonable care cannot otherwise be accessed in Australia.

Supporting evidence may include:

• Medical reports
• Evidence of the person's medical condition
• Evidence of the level of care required
• Information about available care services
• Evidence concerning why those services are not reasonably accessible
• Evidence of the applicant's ability and willingness to provide the required care

Sponsorship

A Carer visa applicant must have an eligible sponsor and the sponsorship must be approved.

The sponsor and applicant must satisfy the relationship and sponsorship requirements applicable to the visa.

The sponsorship arrangement is an important part of the application and should be assessed carefully before lodging the visa application.

Health Requirements

The applicant and accompanying family members must meet the applicable Australian health requirements.

Health examinations may be required as part of the visa process.

The Department may consider the potential health and community-service costs associated with a medical condition when assessing the health requirement for permanent visas.

Character Requirements

Applicants must meet Australia's character requirements.

Applicants may be required to provide police certificates and other character documents depending on their circumstances.

Family members included in the application may also need to satisfy applicable character requirements.

Documents for a Carer Visa Application

A Carer visa application may require substantial supporting evidence.

Important documents can include:

Applicant documents

• Passport
• National identity documents, where applicable
• Birth certificate
• Evidence of name changes
• Marriage or relationship documents, where applicable
• Police certificates
• Military service documents, if applicable
• Passport photographs
• English translations of non-English documents

Relationship evidence

Depending on the circumstances:

• Birth certificates
• Marriage certificates
• Adoption documents
• Family records
• Evidence establishing the relationship between the applicant and the person requiring care

Medical and care evidence

This is one of the most important parts of the application and may include:

• Bupa medical assessment/certificate
• Medical reports
• Specialist reports
• Evidence of the long-term medical condition
• Evidence describing the level and type of care required
• Evidence concerning the availability or lack of reasonable care options in Australia

Evidence of ability to provide care

The applicant should be able to demonstrate their willingness and ability to provide the required ongoing care and support.

Carer Visa Application Process

The application process can generally involve the following steps:

Step 1 – Assess eligibility

Determine whether the applicant, sponsor and person requiring care satisfy the relevant requirements.

Step 2 – Medical assessment

Arrange the required medical assessment for the person requiring care through Bupa Medical Visa Services.

The Department states that evidence that this assessment process has begun is required before the application can be accepted.

Step 3 – Prepare supporting documents

Collect identity, relationship, medical, care, sponsorship, health and character evidence.

Step 4 – Lodge the application

Carer visa applications are paper-based. For subclass 116, the applicant must satisfy the applicable offshore location requirements. For subclass 836, the applicant must be in Australia when applying and when the Department makes its decision.

Step 5 – Import the application into ImmiAccount

Since 23 July 2025, applicants for certain Other Family visas, including subclasses 116 and 836, can import their paper application into ImmiAccount after receiving the acknowledgement letter.

This can provide access to online services such as uploading documents, viewing messages, updating details and checking application status.

Step 6 – Respond to Department requests

The Department may request additional information, documents, health examinations or other evidence.

Step 7 – Visa decision

The Department will assess the application and issue a decision.

Carer Visa Processing Times

Carer visas are part of Australia's Other Family visa category.

Demand for Other Family visas is greater than the number of places available each year. Consequently, applications are subject to capping and queuing, and processing can take a considerable amount of time.

The Department's processing-time guide provides an indication based on recently decided applications, but it is not a guarantee of how long an individual application will take.

For this reason, applicants should not rely on a fixed processing timeframe when planning their migration arrangements.

Carer Visa Cost

The visa application charge can change and may depend on the applicant's circumstances and the number of family members included.

The visa charge is generally paid in instalments. The Department may also require additional payments for:

• Health examinations
• Police certificates
• Biometrics, where applicable
• Other associated application costs

The second instalment is generally payable when requested by the Department. In certain circumstances, the Department may consider reducing the second instalment to nil where paying it would cause severe financial hardship to the applicant or the person being cared for.

Subclass 116 vs Subclass 836

Important Considerations

A Carer visa application can be complex because the applicant needs to demonstrate more than a family relationship.

The application needs to address:

• The applicant's relationship with the person requiring care
• The person's long-term medical condition
• The level of care required
• The applicant's willingness and ability to provide substantial ongoing care
• Whether reasonable care options are available in Australia
• Sponsorship requirements
• Health and character requirements
• Supporting documentary evidence

A weak or incomplete explanation of the care circumstances can create significant difficulties for the application.

Get Professional Carer Visa Assistance

If you are considering a Carer visa subclass 116 or 836, professional assessment can help you understand whether this pathway may be suitable for your circumstances.

The Visa and Education Services Pty Ltd provides personalised Australian family and migration visa assistance through Registered Migration Agent Navneet Kaur (MARN 2318181).

We can assist with:

• Carer visa eligibility assessment
• Subclass 116 and 836 pathway assessment
• Sponsorship requirements
• Medical and care evidence
• Supporting-document preparation
• Application strategy
• Department correspondence
• Family migration options

Contact us to discuss your circumstances and understand your available Carer visa options.

Important Disclaimer

Migration legislation, visa requirements, fees, processing arrangements and family migration program settings can change. The information on this page is general information only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Eligibility should be assessed according to your individual circumstances and the requirements applicable when you apply.